Here comes industrial priorities

May 12, 2018

This is what the 143.3bn/- proposed budget for the Ministry of Industries, Trade and Investment targets to realise in the 2018/19 fiscal year, to ensure that the country achieves its dream of becoming the middle income economy through the manufacturing sector by 2015.

Tabling the ministry’s budget proposal in Parliament here yesterday, Minister Charles Mwijage asked the House to approve the proposals and allocate 100bn/- to development and 43.3bn/- for recurrent expenditures.

For the development budget, the ministry has highlighted priority areas as increasing capital of the National Entrepreneurship Development Fund (NEDF), developing pilot projects of Mchuchuma and Liganga and Engaruka soda ash as well as Arusha General Tyre Industry.

Other areas on focus are development of TAMCO industrial park in Kibaha and setting new others in different places, development of URSUS tractor assembly, industrial areas of Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO), special economic zones, Kurasini Logistic Centre and Kigamboni Industrial Park. “

Apart from these priorities, the government will put special emphasis on creating strong private sector to contribute in building the industrial economy,” he said. Mr Mwijage further stated that among other goals in the next financial year, the government will embark on assessment of actual industrialproduction against demand of products, particularly sugar, edible oil, construction materials and iron.

Highlighting over achievement reached so far, he said, by March, this year, the country had 53,876 industries. Among them, large industries were 251 while middle, small and micro-small industries were 173, 6,957 and 46,495, respectively.

For the period of not less than three years since the fifth phase government came into power, 3,306 industries have been constructed. Between July, last year and March, this year, at least 243 projects worth 3,667 million US dollars, with potential of creating 36,025 jobs, were registered at Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC), Business Regulations and Licensing Agency and Economic Processing Zone Authority. “

Tanzania is currently self-satisfied with cement, iron sheets, drinks and roof tiles,” he stated. Speaking over the trade sector, Mr Mwijage noted that the ministry will carry on with discussions on regional and international bilateral trade for the sake of expanding market and investment to attract more investors.

Commenting on the budget, Parliamentary Committee on Industry, Trade and Investment said many Tanzanians want to see establishment of industries, especially construction of big and middle scale industries for processing agricultural produce like cotton, coffee, tobacco and cashew nuts.

The committee Chairman, Mr Suleiman Sadiq, pointed out that many farmers were still using poor agricultural inputs, including hand hoe and advised the government to empower the institutions like SIDO and CARMATEC to produce and supply inputs, cheaply.

Mr Sadiq explained that while the government was emphasising the establishment of the industries in the country, some owners were still complaining over insufficient power. But the committee commended the government’s decision to implement Stigler’s Gorge mega power project as lasting solution to power supply challenges